Every Day Zen
If there must be thoughts--and there always are--be thoughtful, I tell myself. Rather than “winding yourself up,” just stay present. Mindful. Keep yourself confined to the day you have. You live nowhere else. I often find myself mucking about on low energy days. Going nowhere. They’re a bit of a slippery slope, if I wander... Continue Reading →
No matter the purpose of my appointment with the neurosurgeon, the conversation always comes down to autoimmune disease. Today’s visit was no different. This is the same neurosurgeon’s office that--a few weeks ago--rescheduled my appointment without telling me. Beyond that, there was an additional conversation about another scheduling error. However, we all showed up today... Continue Reading →
Sometimes, I am keenly aware of the metal in my hips, as well the plate and screws repairing the fracture in my right femur. It’s not a sensation of pain, it’s warmth, a light sunburn. I am in awe of sinew uniting metal with bone and muscle as I move into my next yoga pose.... Continue Reading →
It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others. M.F.K. Fisher This quotation reminds me of the Oneness of us all, the wholeness of the human experience. So often I single out—separate... Continue Reading →
Let there be moments, unexplainable. Let there be a few things that are mysterious, for which you cannot supply any reason. Osho When I came across the Osho quote this morning, I thought of chronic illness. I have no idea of the context of the quote but I doubt it is chronic illness. Of late,... Continue Reading →
As one who loves to eat, I am always on the lookout for food’s goodness. For 58 years, there was not a food or drink that I did not indulge, no matter the consequences to my health. Six years ago, those consequences came to call. The years of binge eating and poor nutrition choices resulted... Continue Reading →
Physically, this is a perfect storm day for me. My spinal cord and autoimmune disease are merging into my version of a category one hurricane. I predict it will not become a category five. After 40 years, my forecasts are fairly reliable. How I engage this powerful energy determines the life of the storm. There... Continue Reading →
There are some people who eat an orange but don’t really eat it. They eat their sorrow, fear, anger, past, and future. Thich Nhat Hanh I was such a person. Eating and drinking kept me in a comfortable, albeit blurred, presence. Six years ago, my body said, “Enough!” Ultimately, I turned into a nutritional research laboratory. I wanted to learn to... Continue Reading →
